Patent Document 1 discloses a composite composition prepared by dispersing small spheres of a water based composition containing agar in a gelated or solidified oil based composition containing 12-hydroxystearic acid; it mentions that said composite composition can be used for makeup cosmetics such as lip gloss.
However, in said composite composition the oil based gel, which forms the outer phase (continuous phase), is solidified and therefore there is a concern in that, for example, the pressure of finger scooping in repeated use may gradually destroy the gel and the small spheres may precipitate. Also, since a high-viscosity oil component such as polybutene is blended into the oil based gel, which forms the outer phase (continuous phase), the spreading is heavy and stickiness tends to arise, which gives it an unfavorable texture during use as a skin care cosmetic.
Patent Document 2 discloses a skin cosmetic prepared by dispersing particles having an average particle size of 0.1-5 mm and containing agar into a transparent or semi-transparent base agent having a viscosity of 300-5,000 mPa-s.
However, it is difficult to blend a large quantity of oil components into said skin cosmetic and therefore it is very difficult to give it a skin protection effect (emollient effect) and massage effect.
On the other hand, Patent Document 3 discloses a cosmetic containing capsules enclosing an oil-in-water emulsion wherein the capsule membrane is composed of calcium alginate in the amount of 0.1-1.0 wt % relative to the total amount of the capsule.
Also, Patent Document 4 discloses a capsule-enclosed cosmetic in which barium alginate capsules, in which at least a part of the alginate exists in the form of a multivalent metal salt having barium salt as an essential ingredient, exist in the outer phase composed of a pH-adjusted aqueous solution of a carboxyvinyl polymer.
Furthermore, Patent Document 5 discloses a water-containing cosmetic containing soft capsules and spheres whose base agent is agar.
However, the alginate capsules used in Patent Documents 3 and 4 are prepared by reacting water soluble alginate with water soluble calcium salt to generate water insoluble calcium alginate, and there is a shortcoming in that, when they are applied on the skin, residue from the capsules stay on the skin to cause an unpleasant sensation.
Also, the water-containing cosmetic of Patent Document 5 is limited in terms of the blend ratio of the oil component and therefore there is a shortcoming in that it is very difficult to give it a skin protection effect (emollient effect) and/or massage effect.